time
by ai oi
Summary: shonenai. senru. love does not involve only two.
1. Default Chapter

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Time

Love does involve not only two…

I fidgeted in my seat; the velvet-encased chair felt like it was made of solid rock. Glancing at the grandfather clock just down the hallway, I bit my lip. 15 minutes. I had to meet Sendoh at the beach in 15 minutes. Now, if I could just find an excuse to leave the house in the middle of dinner.

I hadn't expected Otoosan to come home so early today. But I couldn't stand Sendoh up. Not today, especially not today, not on Sendoh-kun's birthday. 

I cleared my throat nervously, "Otoosan, I need to go out for a while." I said. 

"In the middle of dinner? What do u have to do?" he asked. 

"I… I'm just going to wish a friend happy birthday," I said, which was the truth, "I'll be back soon."

"I've noticed that you've been coming home quite late the past few weeks. You're always out when I come back." He said.

"I'm sorry Otoosan, but I've really got to go now. I promise I'll be quick." So saying, I pushed myself away from the table and ran up to my room. Grabbing Sendoh's present in one hand, I raced back downstairs and out the front door. Sprinting towards the beach, which was thankfully near my home, I arrived only 5 minutes late.

"Happy birthday Sendoh," I whispered to him, smiling as my breath made several stray hairs at the nape of his neck fly about. "I brought you a present." I turned in his arms and handed him the parcel. 

He raised his eyebrows in surprise. "You remembered." He cried delightedly. Tearing open the wrapping with the eagerness of a child, he gasped in wonder as he lifted the autographed pair of Nike Air Jordans into the moonlight.

"Oh, thank you Kaede." He said, still grinning, "How did you get them autographed by Michael Jordan himself?"

"Never you mind," I said, "Do you like them?"

"Like them?" he asked incredulously, "I LOVE them!"

"And I love you." He said, facing me again. Placing the shoes carefully on the ground, he pulled me into another mind-numbing embrace and kissed me. I melted in his arms, letting him support most of my weight. I closed my eyes, imaging this perfect moment going on forever, then…

"Rukawa." I started, praying to all the powers that be the voice which had just spoken my name did not belong to whom I though it did. Sendoh released me, and I turned, trembling with trepidation, to face my father.

"Otoosan." I said, my calm voice belying the fear inside. I tried to push Sendoh's arms away, but he held on stubbornly. After a moment, I gave up, what was the point of trying to keep our relationship a secret now? I was sure my father had already seen too much.

Taking Sendoh's hand in mine, I started defiantly at my father. To keep Sendoh by my side, that was the only thing that mattered.

I could see him seething with rage, but the words that he next spoke were tinged with hurt. "How could you do this to me Rukawa?" he asked. I blinked, surprised. That wasn't what I had expected him to say. "Where did I go wrong in bringing you up? I though I'd weaned such nonsense out of you. I didn't raise you to be a perverted little catamite…"

"Otoosan!" I cut off his tirade of angry words. "I'm not a pervert. I love Sendoh and he loves me and there's nothing wrong about it." Shaking with tension, I felt Sendoh squeeze my hand, giving me wordless support.

"Wrong?" my Otoosan said bitterly, "It is more wrong than you can ever imagine. You are truly your mother's son Rukawa."

I said nothing. He'd told me that before and I had seen photographs of her as well. Truly, the resemblance was uncanny. Had I left my hair any longer, I would have been the spitting image of my mother.

But I didn't know why he'd brought that up now. 

"Do you know why your mother left us?" he said, sorrow colouring his tone. I shook my head. My mother had left us when I was only two, and my father had flared up every time I'd asked him why. Over time, I had just ceased caring. Still, what had this got to do with it? 

"She left us," he continued, "for another woman."

I felt like I'd been kicked in the stomach. Staggering, I grabbed Sendoh to prevent myself from falling. I couldn't believe it. "Now do you see?" my father said, head bent. I shook my head, not so much in disbelief as to deny such a possibility. 

My father addressed Sendoh, "Are you going to take my son away from me in this way too?"

I clung to Sendoh, a million emotions battering against my heart. Confusion, pain, anger, desperation, disbelief. I whimpered, my head hurt. Things were so clear now; why my father was such a homophobic, why he'd sheltered me from the very concept of homosexuality for most of my life. I couldn't deal with these sudden revelations. Not so many, not now.

Pulling away from Sendoh, I began to run.

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hope you enjoyed it. Please give me your comments. I might post a chapter 2.

ã 2002 ai


	2. ...and many's the marriage that has been...

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Time 

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…and many's the marriage that has been canceled on account of family… 

I heard his footsteps pounding after me, and my father weeping in the distance. But I couldn't deal with either of them at the moment, so I just kept on running; the tears I shed dried in the wind of my passing.

"Rukawa, wait!" I heard him say. Not now Sendoh, give me more time. Unheeding, I put on a burst of speed and predictably tripped over a rock. Falling to my knees, I grasped the sand in my fingers, pressing my forehead to the ground.

I felt him come beside me. Sinking to a crouch, he placed his arms around me. My hands sought his neck and I clung to him as if he were my only lifeline in the sea of bewilderment, clung to him and sobbed like a broken child, letting him rock me back and forth, whispering all the while, "Shh, it's okay Kaede. I'm here for you. Don't cry…"

We fell asleep in each other's arms. Awakening the next morning to the sound of eaves breaking on the shore, I was disorientated for a second. Then the memory of last night hit me, and I bit my lip to keep from crying out. Disentangling myself gently from his embrace, I walked towards the ocean, letting the sea breeze lead my thoughts where it would.

When he walked up to me some time later, I was still unresolved. But he seemed to know that. He just stood there silently, letting me make the first move. Finally, I said, "I don't know what to think or do anymore. All I know is I love you, but my mother left Otoosan and I for…the wrong reason. Does that make this, us, wrong?" 

He thought for a moment, then said, "Kaede, it was wrong for your mother to leave her family for any reason. But the love itself, that was not wrong. Because love is, in essence, a good thing. And love does not care about height, weight, appearance, intelligence…not even gender. I love you Kaede, for what you are, for everything you are."

As I listened, my eyes filled with tears, but tears of joy. He was right of course, as he usually was. Love transcends all boundaries. Cliché, but true. Smiling at him, I said, "Let's go see my Otoosan, together."

~

I opened the door hesitantly. Beckoning Sendoh in, I stood quietly in front of my father. 

"What do you want Kaede?" he said wearily. 

"I want," I said, "your blessing." 

He laughed, a pained laugh. 

"Are you insane?" he asked, "Never will I approve of this distortion of normality."

"Then, at least, your understanding." I pleaded. "Understanding?' 

Another laugh. 

"I understand only too well." He said, "Get out of my house. And don't even think of setting one foot in here till you come back to your senses." 

"Otoosan, please…" 

But before I could get any further, he collapsed.

~

We walked side by side, saying nothing, just enjoying each other's company. Picking up a rock, I flung it into the ocean. 

"Sendoh," I began. 

"I know." He said. 

"It's just that, my Otoosan, he's so weak right now, and the doctor said he can't take any more blows." 

He cut me off again, saying, "I understand, really I do." 

"Thank you." I said. We lapsed into silence once more.

Further on, he suddenly spoke up, "I'll wait for you Kaede. I'll wait till he accept us. However long it takes." 

My heart breaking, I nodded. I would be waiting for that day too. As he pulled me in for one final embrace, a single tear ran down my cheek and a knife through my heart.

It was time to say goodbye…for now.

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The format's a bit off because I had these little scenes that were too small to be considered chapters, so I decided to turn them into a chapter together. 

Hope it was interesting though. Please R&R.

© 2002 ai


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